Who is Riz Ahmed? Know about the only Muslim actor to receive Oscar nomination in lead

Riz Ahmed was nominated at 93rd Annual Academy Awards for Best Actor in Leading Role for his role of 'Ruben Stone' in the movie Sound of Metal. Ahmed made history by becoming the first Muslim actor to be nominated for the lead role at the Oscars. So who is Riz Ahmed? Here's all you need to know him-

Riz Ahmed's early life and childhood

Riz Ahmed was born on December 1, 1982, in Wembley, London Borough of Brent. He was born to a British Pakistani family and his parents are of Muhajir background. Interestingly, he is a descendant of Sir Shah Muhhamad Sulaiman who was the first Muslim to become Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court during the colonial era. He graduated from Christ Church Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) which he described as a 'bizarre' experience. He then went on to study acting at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. In the latest news of Riz Ahmed's relationships, he revealed in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2021 that he is married to American novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza.

Details of Riz Ahmed's Movies

Riz Ahmed was initially known for working in independent films like Shifty, The Road to Guantanamo, Four Lions, Trishna, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Ill Manors, and many more. He also appeared in the British television series  Britz in 2008 and Dead Set in 2008. He got his first breakthrough role in the neo-noir thriller film Nightcrawler that starred Jake Gyllenhaal,  Rene Russo, and Bill Paxton along with Ahmed.

Ahmed played the role of 'Bodhi Rook' in the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One in 2016. He also starred in the HBO miniseries The Night Of in which he played the role 'Nassir' a young man accused of murder and his role earned him critical acclaim. He bagged an Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie' and became the first Asian male to win an acting Emmy and the first Muslim and first Asian to win a lead acting Emmy. His other popular films include Jason Bourne, Venom, Mogul Mowgli, Una, City of Tiny Lights, and many more.

Riz Ahmed's songs and music career

Ahmed recorded a satirical social-commentary rap track entitled 'Post 9/11 Blues' in 2006 which was leaked by his friends and he first gained popularity through the internet. He soon founded his own independent record label called  'Battered Records' and he officially released 'Post 9/11 Blues' in CD and MP3 formats and he went on to win 'Best MC' at Asian Music Awards in 2006. He released his debut album 'Mircroscope' in  2011 and re-released it with additional remixes in 2012. He featured in the song  'Immigrants(We Get The Job Done)' in The Hamilton Mixtape which topped Billboard 200 chart.

Riz Ahmed's activism

As an activist, Riz Ahmed has been involved in raising funds for Syrian refugee children and also advocates representation at the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. He has been involved in raising awareness for Rohingya Immigrants and raising funds for them. Riz Ahmed grabbed headlines for refusing to attend the fourth annual GoalKeepers Award ceremony established by the Gates Foundation where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to receive the ‘Global Goalkeeper Award' in the United States.

Promo Image Source: Riz Ahmed's Instagram